Lotto Belisol: trainingscamp at Ridley's test centre

From January 5 to 14 the riders and staff of Lotto Belisol are staying in Benicassim. This is no coincidence as bike manufacturer “Ridley Bikes” has it’s Test Center in the Spanish seaside resort.

This way, the Belgian company has the chance to invite dealers and media from all over Europe to a location with an agreeable climate.

Anthony Kumpen, commercial director at Ridley Bikes: "A number of years ago we met Stefan Everts, 10 times World Champion motocross, who already had a motocross training location in Benicassim. Because we noticed that cycling tourism was becoming more and more popular and the facilities were available, we started with the Ridley Test Center. "

"The center has several goals. On the one hand we offer the guests of the Intur Hotels the chance to ride a bike in a bicycle-friendly region. There are 100 Ridley bikes of the previous season available at the hotel, and these are replaced every year. On the other hand, the facilities offer us the opportunity to invite people. In the autumn, when the dealers have to decide what they want to sell the next season, we invite 200 European dealers to Benicassim. They get an explanation of all the novelties of the new range, and they can test the different models in a beautiful environment. We also invite journalists during the year and give them the opportunity to test our bikes in exchange for exposure in their medium. "

"It's a marketing strategy that requires a serious investment, but by bringing the people here we also get a lot in return. The design is unique and a perfect way to achieve our international expansion objectives. We are currently present in 40 countries, including the ten major cycling countries. As a Belgian company, we can still grow significantly in foreign countries. To help us reach our objectives, we also have a partnership with WorldTour team Lotto Belisol which creates a lot of exposure worldwide."